Last night, President Biden answered questions on rising gasoline prices during a live townhall on CNN. The President blamed OPEC+ for the increasingly high price of gasoline, however, energy experts argue that the Administration could lower the price of gas by increasing domestic oil and gas development and production.

Meanwhile, legislators on Capitol Hill continued to negotiate a deal on the reconciliation package this week, with some Democrats acknowledging that they may have to drop the proposed clean electricity performance program.

Oil traded just below multi-year highs on Friday due to low supplies and concerns over COVID-19 related demand disruptions.

Check out more of this week’s top stories in energy below!

5New steel mill will run primarily on solar power

A 300-megawatt solar plant, called Bighorn Solar, is comprised of more than 750,000 solar panels and will be fully operation by next month. E&E news reports the solar power plant-steel factory duo joins a short list of heavy industrial companies offsetting their carbon emissions by co-locating with renewable energy plants.

4Yellow school buses are going green

School districts throughout the United States are joining a small but growing movement to switch from diesel to electric buses. The motivations run from cheaper operation costs to wanting kids to breathe cleaner air. Christian Science Monitor reports that proponents say the electric buses are 60% cheaper to operate and will pay for themselves over time.

3A wind turbine wall that can power your home

We mainly think of wind power in terms of large turbines set up in the ocean or in open fields. My Modern Met explains how the new Wind Turbine Hall doubles as a kinetic sculpture and wind turbine wall; helping homeowners become more energy-efficient while adding a touch of beauty.

2Trees could be an alternative to lithium-ion batteries

Most green vehicles run on lithium-ion batteries, which are made from toxic materials. Is there an alternative? Potentially yes, trees. The Daily Beast reports on how engineers at Brown University and the University of Maryland are taking that goal to another other level, with a new proposal for rechargeable batteries made from trees.

1Geothermal energy is powering Boise and other cities could follow

Almost 100 buildings in Boise, Idaho are powered by renewable geothermal energy — and experts say that other cities should get on board. Geothermal energy harnesses the heat stored in rocks underneath the Earth’s surface and a fraction of this heat would be enough to satisfy the world’s energy needs. Next City reports that with some technological innovation, low-temperature geothermal energy could be accessed almost anywhere in the country. 

Nuclear power has long been a major provider of electricity in the United States. In fact, about 20% of the electricity we use comes from nuclear power. A huge benefit to nuclear power is that it provides extremely reliable and predictable base load power. This has led many high school seniors and freshman in college to begin looking into the nuclear power industry as a career option. So, what are the top five STEM-related careers in the nuclear energy industry?

• Nuclear Physicist
• Nuclear Missile Silo Operator
• Nuclear Power Plant Operator
• Nuclear Chemist
• Nuclear Engineer

Nuclear Physicist

A nuclear physicist is in charge of studying the way that various radioactive materials work and attempt to discover more ways to generate electricity from nuclear material. If they are able to more efficiently utilize the fuel, then the cost of generating more electricity can be less. Additionally, a physicist will make sure that existing power plant fuel is operating within safe measurements. A high-ranking nuclear physicist should expect to have a PhD from an accredited University making up to $129,000 per year.

Nuclear Missile Silo Operator

All over the United States are nuclear silos which require operators to man them around the clock in case the call should ever come in to deploy them. While this job is usually described as a bit mundane, it is critically important to our national security. Most nuclear missile silo operators have a high school degree and military background with a focus in the nuclear arsenal. A nuclear missile silo operator can expect make around $82,000 per year.

Nuclear Power Plant Operator

The main way that a nuclear power plant generates electricity is by dropping rods of nuclear material into water which then cause this water to boil and turn into steam. This high quality steam is then used to turn a turbine which generates electricity. A nuclear power plant operator is in charge of making sure that these rods go in and out of the water at safe intervals. Most nuclear power plant operators require a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from a four-year accredited University. A nuclear power plant operator can expect to bring in an average salary of $104,000 per year.

Nuclear Chemist

Nuclear chemists can employee their skills in a variety of jobs. They may study the way nuclear fuel reacts over time so that nuclear reactors can more safely and efficiently generate power for consumers. Additionally, they can study the impact nuclear material has on humans. Most nuclear chemists hold at least a Master’s degree and can expect to make an average salary of $108,000 per year.

Nuclear Engineer

A nuclear engineer is in charge of designing any and all systems that have to do with radiation or nuclear power. This includes nuclear reactors, x-ray machines, and machines used to treat cancer in medical patients. While a nuclear engineer only requires a bachelor’s degree to enter the field, most upper level nuclear engineers have earned a PhD. A nuclear engineer can expect to earn over $116,000 just a few years into their career.

As New Mexico is building toward a more energy and environmentally efficient future, Jack’s Plastic Welding Inc. (JPW) is using their valiant expertise as a force for change in the 21^st century. Operating out of Aztec, New Mexico, JPW has soared to new heights in the aerospace industry by partnering with NASA to mastermind the NASA Space Capsule Recovery Platform.

The Space Capsule Recovery Platform is an octagon shaped rescue raft separate from the space capsule stabilization collar – the orange ring seen around the Orion Spacecraft. Through JPW’s expert welding, they have created a raft to enable faster and safer recovery times for astronauts. With over 56 years of inflatable recovery systems used by NASA, JPW is the latest provider of safer rescue recovery for astronauts who may need an emergency ocean landing.

The recovery platform model built by the JPW team was first designed in 2016, but improvements have been made in partnership with NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab to create the newest model. A modernized stabilization ring has been built by JPW in recent years. Pictured below is the computer design of the 2017 model, including some major additions. Such additions include an inflatable canopy, ballast bags, cargo mesh bags, aluminum rung ladders, and new flooring with removable port holes.

JPW has achieved many feats since partnering with NASA, including currently competing in the Waves to Water Prize launched by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Competitors in the Waves to Water Prize are tasked with engineering a small, modular desalination system powered by ocean wave energy. Jack’s Plastic Welding teamed up with Wave Venture, an Irish wave energy consulting company, to create the Canvasback Desalination System. As a team, Wave Venture plays the part of analyzing each part of the device and JPW fabricates the body of the unit. In order to achieve the mission of providing clean drinking water only using ocean wave energy, JPW constructed an elastic covering that swells in and out with the waves creating enough momentum to power the reverse osmosis pump.

However, as curious, enthusiastic and intelligent beings, humans continue to refine their ideas and skills. In doing this, we explore how we can use our intelligence in other everyday inventions, products and skills across industries, providing their benefits in various ways. More importantly, being innovative and efficient.

Jack’s Plastic Welding is one such company. Beyond the aerospace industry, Jack’s has aided the oil and gas industry in pioneering new safety technologies. Rapid deployment emergency spill containment units are JPW’s invention for emergency oil spills helping to contain the leakage as soon as the issue is recognized.

Though it may surprise you, JPW’s products are geared primarily toward the adventure tourism industry. Regardless, they continue to collaborate with a diverse group of industries in order to provide modern safety technologies across the globe. This shows that with the intelligence and the perseverance to think big – there are always ways we can continue to help humanity achieve its goals and be more efficient every day.

News stories this week focused on the energy crisis gripping the world, causing some to wonder if the U.S. is next? U.S. oil prices have skyrocketed $120 since crashing to negative $40 a barrel in April 2020 and gas prices around the U.S. have surged to a seven-year high as the demand for fuel has overtaken the supply.

As energy prices continue to rise, major Chinese energy companies are in advanced talks with U.S. exporters to secure long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, as soaring gas prices and domestic power shortages heighten concerns about the country’s fuel security.

Meanwhile, a new report released this week shows that if the Biden Administration pursues its goal of building 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in the U.S. by 2030, companies supplying the industry will generate $109 billion over the next decade.

In another move to advance America’s renewable energy goals, the Biden Administration last week announced a goal of 5 million homes powered by community solar energy by 2025 – a target that would require the U.S. to increase community solar generation by more than 700 percent by 2025.

Check out our top five favorite stories in energy this week below!

5Meet the solar-powered car you may not need to charge

A solar-powered car out of Munich may be a game changer for the electric vehicle industry. Electrek reports that the Sion has solar panels integrated into the design, and can charge just from being parked outside….and on not so sunny days, it can be charged electrically.

4The American farm that produces both food and energy in tandem

Agrivoltaic systems use the same land area for both agriculture and producing solar photovoltaic power. CleanTechnica reports on how the largest commercially active agrivoltaic system in the U.S.  was created in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University partners to research and develop a model for how to produce food and energy in tandem.

3Can dams produce energy?

While building new dams in the U.S. is largely a thing of the past, many of our existing dam infrastructure is in need of repair. Yale Environment 360 explains how retrofitting our existing dams for hydropower could generate enough renewable electricity for several million homes.

2The newest contender for the biggest wind turbine in the world to be installed next year

The biggest turbine in the world, a 15-megawatt offshore wind turbine prototype, will begin generating electricity next year. The BBC reports that the turbine will be powerful enough to provide electricity to an estimated 13,000 British homes.

1New solar cell materials found to significantly increase efficiency

German-based researchers have identified a new combination of materials for solar cells that could make them 1,000 times stronger than traditional silicon based cells. The Brighter Side explains how by creating crystalline layers of barium titanate, strontium titanate and calcium titanate alternately placed on top of one another the researchers were able to produce a thousand times more power for over a six-month period.